Category Archives: cross-promotion

I’ve been meaning to get a copy of Peter VK3YE’s e-book ‘Minimum QRP: Doing more with under five watt amateur radio‘ for some time, and a string of in-conversation references to it by Bill N2CQR on Soldersmoke prompted me to buy and read it this week. I had thought Peter may have made this a book of celebration of radio homebrew culture, a kind of personal homage to thousands of soldering iron hours, something along the lines of the groove created by Bill and Pete on Soldersmoke. But it is a broader offering. The book is a compendium of amateur radio notes, observations, tips and tricks from a dedicated experimenter, maker and operator. QRP is the common thread. Peter has found a balance that avoids it being only a homebrew/DIY manual or a personal memoir. It occupies a different space from his website and Youtube channel, which tend to open up his projects, antenna escapades and circuit design ideas. There is something in it for all amateur radio enthusiasts, not just the homebrewer or dedicated QRPer. The writing is grounded and pragmatic, and most of the content is illustrated with stories or examples drawn from the author’s experience.

David VK3KR tipped me off over the long weekend that Eric 4Z1UG interviews Peter VK3YE this week for QSO Today, Eric’s weekly ham radio interview podcast. Eric interviews notable people, and people who just do interesting things in the hobby, and has a global audience.This is another recognition of Peter’s remarkable work over the years with all things QRP. Eric’s interview primer:

The local city dump was the source of parts for Peter Parker, VK3YE’s first ham radio projects. This humble beginning made Peter one of the most prolific contributors of videos and articles on the art of amateur radio. Peter builds his own gear, operates QRP from the local beach, and gives valuable advice on how to be a successful operator. VK3YE is 4Z1UG’s guest on QSO Today.

In the podcast Peter talks about early days in VK6, working with two AM receivers to resolve SSB in the 1980s, finding the balance between simplicity and capability, and some other interests, including a novel way of illustrating Melbourne’s public transport timetabling. From Eric’s promotion email:

In this week’s QSO Today with Peter Parker, VK3YE, Peter discusses how he converted the railroad schedule to sound, in Melbourne, Australia, where he lives and works. The schedule was designed to sync the trains and buses to minimize passenger wait-time in transit. A very clever idea, especially since he explains, in the podcast, where the rhythmic patterns were regular, the transit times were more efficient.

I have learned from my QSO Today guests to be open to new ideas that they introduce to me. Be sure to check out the link to CYMATICS: Science Vs. Music – Nigel Stanford – YouTube Channel, mentioned in the podcast. In the video, the artist, Nigel Stanford uses sound from a speaker to modulate physical objects to create some very interesting visual effects. Exposure to different art forms opens my mind to solutions to other problems by causing me to think more creatively, in all areas, including ham radio.

Eric has 88 interviews on his site, 80 of these are American hams, of the remaining 8 Peter is the only VK. Congratulations Peter!